The present invention relates to frequency synthesizers. More particularly, the present invention relates to fractional-N (F-N) frequency synthesizers for use in radio frequency (RF) applications, such as mobile radiotelephones. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to RF F-N frequency synthesizers with improved noise performance.
Phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesis is a well-known technique for generating a variety of signals of predetermined frequency in many applications, e.g., digital radiotelephone systems. Briefly, the output of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is coupled to a frequency divider for providing one input to a phase detector. Another input to the phase detector is a reference signal from a fixed frequency source having high stability over a range of operating conditions. Differences in phase determined by the phase detector (typically reflected as charge pulses) are then filtered and applied to the VCO to control changes to the frequency of the VCO of such magnitude and sign as to reduce the detected phase difference.
Fractional-N (F-N) synthesizers based on the above-described PLL frequency synthesis techniques have been in favor for some time because, inter alia, they provide for non-integer division of the VCO output, thereby providing greater flexibility in choosing VCO output frequencies, and allowing the use of higher frequency reference sources with the concomitant potential for wider bandwidth and faster loop locking times. Other background aspects of RF synthesizers (and, in particular, F-N synthesizers), and their implementation and use, are presented in B. Razavi, RF Microelectronics, Prentice-Hall PTR, 1998, especially pp. 269-297, and in incorporated related patent applications (i-iv) cited above.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art F-N synthesizer arrangement in which a reference signal, e.g., from stable frequency source is applied on input 135 as one input to a phase detector 130. The other input to phase detector 130 is a frequency divided output from programmable divider 120 on path 125. Divider 120, in turn, receives an input from the output of VCO 100, which output is the frequency-controlled output of the synthesizer of FIG. 1. The integer part of the division ratio is applied on line 175 and input reflecting the fractional part of the division ratio is applied on line 155. More specifically, fractional sequence generator 150 responds to an applied fractional divisor input on lead 170 to provide a time-variable sequence of integer values, which, when applied through adder 160 allow a variable divisor to be realized in divider 120. Typically, fractional sequence generator 150 is clocked by the output of divider 120, and a new integer divisor value is provided for each such clock cycle. The overall effect of the application of this time-variable control of the integer divisor in divider 120 is to apply a divisor to divider 120 that has an average value equal to the sum of the integer and fractional inputs on 175 and 170, respectively.
In operation, the prior art synthesizer of FIG. 1 controls the frequency of VCO 100 in response to varying integer divisors by applying a time-variable frequency divided version of the output from VCO 100 to phase detector 130. In comparing phase information for the frequency divided input from divider 120 with the reference signal on input 135, phase detector 130 develops an error signal that is smoothed in low pass loop filter 140 and applied to VCO 100 in such manner as to reduce the phase error between the reference signal and the frequency divided signal from divider 120. In doing so, the output from VCO 100 tracks the desired frequency variations specified by fractional inputs on input 170.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, F-N synthesizers using varying integer divisors to provide an effective fractional divisor produces undesired signal components characterized as quantization noise or spurious frequency tones. A number of techniques have been proposed and implemented that seek to minimize or mitigate effects of such spurious noise components. Among such remedial techniques are some for introducing correction signals tending to cancel spurious signals. Razavi, supra at pp. 282-283, describes techniques for reducing quantization noise by using a sigma-delta modulator to control division in a F-N synthesizer. An ideal sigma-delta-controlled fractional sequence generator has a z-domain noise transfer function given by
Y(z)=Qn(z)(1xe2x88x92zxe2x88x921)n,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Eq. 1)
where Q(z) is white noise and n is the order of the sigma-delta modulator. Such an ideal sigma-delta modulator-controlled fractional sequence generator has a signal transfer function having the form
Y(z)=X(z)zxe2x88x92n,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Eq. 2)
where X(z) is the input. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,531 issued Oct. 23, 1990 to T. A. D. Riley, discloses use of a second or higher sigma-delta modulator to control the division ratio in a F-N synthesizer in seeking to reduce quantization noise. These and other sequence generator techniques offer stability, optimal noise shaping, power consumption and other implementation difficulties in some applications.
FIG. 2 shows a prior art fractional sequence generator 200 having improved control of spurious signals. The fractional sequence generator of FIG. 2, is based generally on aspects of a F-N synthesizer circuit arrangement shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,881 issued Sep. 2, 1986 to J. N. Wells, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. The sequence generator of FIG. 2 includes an accumulator structure 210 having a plurality of accumulatorsxe2x80x94each accumulator comprising an n-bit bank of D flip-flops (an n-bit register), 230-i, i=1, 2, and 3 and a respective n-bit adder 225-i, i=1, 2, and 3. Adder 225-1 receives a fractional divisor value ƒ (the least significant bits of a divisor of the form N.ƒ, where N is an integer) on the C input path 215 during a current clock cycle of the output of divider 120. Clock signals corresponding to the output of divider 120 are provided as inputs on Fv input 220. The value ƒ on input 215 is added to the previous contents of n-bit register 230-1 and the result is stored in register 230-1. In addition, when register 230-1 overflows (provides a carry-out indication on recombination output CO1), that signal is immediately applied to adder 240 at an input labeled +1. The set of recombination paths is conveniently referred to as recombination network 205.
As further shown in FIG. 2, the sum generated by adder 225-1 is also provided as an input to adder 225-2, where it is combined with the prior contents of register 230-2 during the following clock cycle. Again, the result of the addition is stored back in register 230-2 and a carry indication is provided on recombination path CO2 when overflow of adder 225-2 occurs. This carry indication is applied to an input to adder 240 labeled +1. In addition, the same overflow signal on CO2 is applied to a xe2x88x921 input to adder 240 after a delay of one additional clock cycle. Such additional delay of one clock cycle is provided by delay flip-flop 250.
In similar fashion, adder 225-3 receives the result of the addition performed at adder 225-2 and adds it to the prior contents of register 230-3. Again, the result of the addition is stored back to register 230-3, and, when a carry-out occurs from adder 225-3, recombination path CO3 supplies the carry-out signal to a +1 input to adder 240. In addition, the CO3 recombination path provides the carry-out indication to delay flip-flop 260, thereby providing the carry out signal to a xe2x88x922 input to adder 240 after an additional clock cycle. Further, the delayed CO3 signal on the output of flip-flop 260 is also provided as an input to delay flip-flop 270 where it provides the carry-out signal to a +1 input to adder 240 after yet another clock cycle (a total delay of two clock cycles).
Each of the carry-out signals from adders 225-i causes adder 240 to provide an output on SEQ path 245 to temporarily increment or decrement the integer divisor applied through adder 160 to divider 120 in FIG. 1. The magnitude and sign of an increment or decrement during any clock cycle is determined as the sum of increments and decrements indicated by the weights for all recombination paths supplying a carry-out signal, the weights being associated with a Pascal""s Triangle. These integer divisor changes advantageously average to the desired fractional portion over time, and, in so doing, provide reduced quantization noise compared with prior F-N techniques. See further the discussion of Pascal sequence coefficients in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,881. Further, the structures illustrated in FIG. 2 offer desirable implementation characteristics for many applications. Such characteristics include robust stability for any number of accumulators (the order of the sequence generator).
However, a z-domain frequency response, Y(z), of fractional sequence generators of the type shown in FIG. 2, for an input of X(z) can be shown to assume the form
Y(z)=X(z)(3zxe2x88x921xe2x88x923zxe2x88x922+zxe2x88x923)+Q1(z)(1xe2x88x92zxe2x88x921)3+Q2(z)(1xe2x88x92zxe2x88x921)3+Q3(z)(1xe2x88x92zxe2x88x921)3xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Eq.3)
where Qj(z) terms represent quantization noise terms associated with the jth accumulator. Further, it can readily be determined that the resulting noise components Qj contribute noise to the output signal that does not have preferred sigma-delta-like noise characteristics.
It is therefore desired to realize advantages of the circuit arrangements of FIG. 2 while simplifying its frequency response characteristics to more nearly resemble those of sigma-delta sequence generators.
Limitations of the prior art are overcome and a technical advance is made in accordance with the present invention, typical embodiments of which are described below.
In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a fractional sequence generator of the type shown in FIG. 2 is modified by the addition of delay elements to better align carry-outs from accumulators other than the last accumulator. Using this modification, a sequence generator is realized that retains low circuit complexity and power consumption characteristic of some cascaded-accumulator sequence generator implementations while exhibiting a desired sigma-delta-like quantization noise spectrum.
In accordance with an aspect of illustrative embodiments of the present invention improved structures will be realized for sequence generators having a higher number of recombination paths, while continuing to exhibit simplified frequency response characteristics.